Improved apparatus for generating power



UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICEo PETER SHEARER, OF READING, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR GENERATING POWER.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 3 l,63l, dated March 5,1861.

To all whom, it may concern:

Beit known that I, PETER SHEARER, of Reading, in the county of Berks andState of Pennsylvania, have invented certain Improvements in Machinesfor Generating Power by Means of Heat, the construction and operation ofwhich I have described in the following specification,and illustrated inits accompanying drawings, with sufficient clearness to enable competentand skillful workmen, in the arts to which it pertains, or is mostnearly allied, to make and use my invention.

My said invention consists in, first, the com bination of a heater orheaters with a pist-on and surrounding cylinder, said cylinder beingconnected, as described, upon both sides of the piston to said heater orheaters, and a plunger or power-piston inclosed in another cylinderconnected by an app ropriate passage with the end ofthe cylinderpreviously referred to, in which cold liquid is received, to be pumpedthrough the heater and expanded, substantially as and for the purposeshereirr alter more l'ully set forth; second, the combination, with theheater or heaters, of an airchamber, said air-chamber being connected bysuitablepassages with the heater or heaters, and provided with a pumporpumps to pump in the necessary supply of liquid,as described below;third, the combination, as described, of the auxiliary cylinder andpiston with the circulating-cylinder and piston above referred to forcausing the fluid to circulate through the heater and then return andgive out its expansive effect for the purpose of facilitating thestarting of the machine, said auxiliary cylinder being provided withvalves so arranged as, in connection with the other parts, to effect thepurpose stated; fourth, in the combination, in the manner described, ofa thermometric regulator with the dampers in the flues and smoke-stack,when the parts are so arranged that the inordinate accumulation ol heatat the heaters shall close the passage inpassing through which the heatis made available, and open a valve in the smokestack or chimney or tlueby which the heat is made to ascend without imparting its effect uponthe heaters, or doing so only partially,

substantially as set forth.

In the drawings', Figure 1 is an isometrical view of the machine entire.Fig. 21s a longitudinal sectional elevation of the principal parts. Fig.3 is a horizontal section showing the parts below the line er at asdrawn across Figs. 2 and 4.. Fig. 4t is a longitudinal vertical sectionshowing the construction of the boiler, heater, chimney, and some otherparts. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section of the thermometric regulator.Fig. 6 is a vertical transverse section of the cylinder of thethermometric regulator and a portion of the boiler, showing the parts atthe left hand of the line y y as drawn across Fig. 5 and illustratingthe connection between this cylinder and the boiler. Fig. 7 is asectional elevation of the valves, marked C O in other views, the objectot1 this figure being to represent these parts on a larger scale. f

A is a bcdplate representing the seat of certain portions of themachine.

B is a boiler used for heating liquid,resting on its feet U.

Numbers 85 represent flucs in the boiler.

The boiler communicates with cylinders D through pipe 10, H through pipe11., C through pipe 12, and I through pipes 17 and 13 and 16. It isentirely filled with liquid without leaving any space-for air or steam.

M is the chimney, and P the grate, an ashpit being underneath.

Q is a sheet-iron casing which leads from the boiler to cylinder C,inclosing the latter and conducting the products of combustion from theboiler-lines into the chimney M, above the damper r.

q and r are dampcrs connected together and opened and closed by lever36, which is supported on a post,67, fastened to the side of thc boiler.When gis opened and r closed,the heat passes through the boiler andcasing Q. Vhen q is closed and r opened,the heat passes up thechimney,suspending the process of heating in the boiler.

C is a hollow cylinder, made of steel or other strong metal, capable ofsustaining a pressure of many tons to the square inch. It is used forheating and expanding cold liquid pumped through it from cylinder E,with which it is connected by means of pipes 1-l and 15, possessingequal strength with cylinder O. From this source the principal power ofthe machine is derived.

T is arnet-work made of copper wires, resembling a series of sievcsfacing each other,

through the interstices of which hot liquid and cold liquid arealternately pumped. rVhen the valves c c are opened by the lever 37,which has S for its fulerum, hot liquid passes from cylinder I, throughpipe 16, valve d, Wires T, and pipe 12,into the boiler B, rapidlyheating the wires in cylinder C. When the valvescc are closed by lever37,valve d closes by a spring and outward pressure and the Acold liquidenters through pipe 14 and passes out through pipe 15, being heated andexpanded in its passage through the wires T.

E is a hollow cylinder made of the same material and strength as C. Intothis cylinder cold liquid is pumped preparatory to heating andexpansion. As piston 3l travels to the right, the cold liquid entersfrom cylinder D through pipe 18 at valve a. On the return of the pistonvalve a closes by gravity and reacting pressure, b opens by upwardpressure, and the cold liquid passes in the direction of the arrows,through the heater C,as before explained, again entering cylinder E,through pipe 15, on the opposite side of the piston. During thisoperation the cold liquid heats through contact with the hot wires T andexerts its expansive power. All the external avenues to the twocylinders E and O being closed during this operation by valves a, c, c',and d,the expanding liquid enters port 3l and pushes out the plungers,which offers the only yielding resistance to the expanding force. Theplunger s is therefore urged onward with a pressure of many tons to thesquare inch and transmits its power to pistons 32 and 33,driv ing theminto their respective cylinders.

The diameter and length of stroke of plunger s are governed by theamount of expansion in the cylinders E and C. This depends upon thequantity and expansibility of the liquid employed and the number ofdegrees 0f temperature through which it is heated. If four hundred cubicinches of turpentine be heated from 100o to 400 Fahrenheit, they willexpand about fifty cubic inches. This increase of volume will displacefifty cubic inches of the plunger. A plunger having eight square inchescross-section would therefore be moved about six inches. Now if theliquid in the cylinder produces a pressure of fifteen tons to the squareinch said plunger will exert a power of one hundred and twenty tonsmoved six inches, equal to four horse powers for one stroke per minute,or one hundred and sixty horse-powers for forty strokes per minute.

1 is a hollow cylinder used for the purpose of operating piston 31inpart and pumping hot liquid through the heater C. It communicates withthe boiler B through pipes 17,' 13, and 16, and with the heater Cthrough pipe 16. It is lled with heated liquid from the- .boiler, andboth sides ofthe piston-head 30 are kept under a constant pressure of,say, one thousand pounds pressure per square inch, as will presently bemore fully explained. As piston 30 is propelled to the right, inconjunction with piston 3l, by a force, hereinafter explained,applied tothe piston-rod v, the valve e being closed by its weight and the valvesc c having been opened by lever 37,the heated liquid is forced fromcylinder I through pipe 16, opens valve cl,heats the copper wires, andpasses into the boiler B through pipe 12. As piston 30 returns onclosing valves c, c', and d, the

valve e opens, giving passage to a new supply of hot liquid from theboiler through pipes 13 and 16 into the cylinder I. Pipe 17 serves onlyto keep aconstant pressure on,on the left-hand side of piston-head.Piston 30 makes a returnstroke the moment the pressure is removed fromrod c, because the superficies of the righthand side of the piston-headexposed to pressure is greater than that of the left-hand side by thearea of a cross-section of the piston-rod fw, which enters thepistouhead through a stuffing-box. The rods t c', which play-throughstufiingboxes in cylinder E, being of equal diameter the pressure on thetwo sides of piston 31 always remainsV equal. The adjustable nut 38 isemployed to ease the concussion of the stroke by striking against thespring 39. D is a hollow metallic cylinder, into which air is pumped byhand with the air-pump Z until it attains any desired pressure-say onethousand pounds to the square inch-the air occupying the space abovepipe 10 and cold liquid below it. Said air-pump Works in the head of thecylinder with a movable packing, a hole being bored through the centerof the pump to admit air. As thc pump descends, the air rushes upthrough said bore, opening the small conical valve and filling the spacebelow the valve h. As the pum p ascends,valve z' closes and the valvel1l is forced open, both by the compressed air and the body ofthe pump,when the air rises through the cold liquid and the valve 7L closes. Theair is pumped into the cylinder D to its desired pressure before theliquid in the boileris heated,and after the boiler and cylinders are allilled with liquid, D itself being filled with liquid up to pipe 10. Thiscylinder communicates with F through pipe 19, Gth rough pipe 22, Ethrough pipe 18, and with the boiler B through pipe 10, throwing saidpressure of one thousand pounds upon all parts directly or indirectlyconnected with it. The object ofkeeping the boiler and the other partsofthe machinery under this constant pressure is to retain the hot liquidpermanently in a liquid state-#in other words, to prevent it passinginto steam or Vapor. Therefore the pressure of the air in the cylinder Dmust be sufficiently great to prevent the heat applied to the boilerfrom generating steam, and must be determined by the boiling-point ofthe liquid employed and the'intensity of the heat in the boiler. y

l F is a strong hollow metallic cylinder containing a piston, 32,propelled by the plungers and used for drawing cold liquid from thecistern L through pipe 20 and pumping it into cylinder D. As the pistonpasses to the right, a Vacuum is formed behind it, valve g and C.

closes,f opens, and theliqu'id is forced upinto cylinder F byatmospheric pressure. As it travels to the left f closes, g opens, andthe liquid is forced up into cylinder D. The capacity of cylinder F topump liquid must slight-ly exceed that of cylinder E, which it suppliesthrough pipe 18. Pipe 10 discharges the surplus liquid into the boiler.

H is a strong hollow metallic cylinder used for drawing liquid justcondensed and still hot from the cistern K through pipe 21 and pumpingit into the boiler B through pipe 11. Piston 33 is connected by means ofthe rod a, Fig. 3, which runs through asteam-tight packing-box, with theplunger t, which is attached to piston 32, and is moved in conjunctionwith it by the plunger s. Valves] and lc operate similarly to valvesfand g. tents of the bore of this cylinder must be determined by thepower which the plunger is capable of exerting. If 8 moves with a powerof one hundred and twenty tous, it will give an area of two hundred andforty square inches to pistons 32 and 33 and plunger toombined against apressure of half a ton in cylinder D.

' G is a hollow metallic cylinder having the form of a gland, lforconvenience sake, on the side entering F to tighten the packing in thestuffing-box between the two cylinders. It conimunicat'es with D throughpipe 22. Its object is to force back the plunger s, and with it pistous32 and 33, so soon as s has completed its stroke and opened the valves cc to remove the great expanding pressure in cylinders E It also carriesback simultaneously with s the piston-rod u, together with pistons 3l.and 30, with which it is connected. The

area of the plunger t, exposed to pressure in' the cylinder G, beinggreater than the combined areas of the plunger s and piston-rod w, givesif a preponderance over both and causes it to drive them back. In orderto elucidate this operation` let us for a moment advert to valves c c.There is a pressure of many tons on the valve c when closed. In order tofacilitate the opening of this valve, a smaller valve, c', is placedupon it, closing a hole through the center. The face ofthe smaller valvehas an area but little greater than the area of a transverse section ofthe stem by which it is operated and to which it isjoined. The pressureon it is therefore comparatively small. So soon as it is opened theliquid rushes through the hole in the larger valve, c, restoring theequilibrium of pressure on bot-h sides and rendering its opening lessdifiicult. The lower valve is attached to the same stem which operatesthe upper valve a little above it, so that the raising of the stem bylever 37 opens the smaller and larger valves successively. Lever 3 isconnected with and operated by lever 41 through the invention of link40. To lever 41, which rests on fulcrum 47, fastened to frame z, areattached three depending catches, 42, 43, and 44, playing on pins in thelever. As

The solid conj open; e, I), g, and k close.

the plunger s completes its stroke to the left, a projection oncross-head m, having an inclined plane on the right hand side and aperpendicular shoulder on the left-hand side, strikes catch 44, therebyraising the lever and opening the small valve c. The great pressure inthe cylinders E and C being thus removed, the plunger t bears back theplunger s. Spring 45 causes catch 44 to resume its former position. Theprojection on cross-head strikes catch 43, elevating lever 41 stillfarther, and thereby opening the main valve c. As the stroke oftheplunger is completed, said projection strikes catch 42, closing valves cc ininnnediate succession. Spring 46 restores last-na med catch to itsproper place. The rod c is pushed into cylinder E as follows: Then theplunger s completes its stroke to the left, or a little before, a catch,50, pinned to crosshead which is guided in a slot in frame z, Vfallsinto a notch or shoulder, 51, in rod o and carries the rod with it onits return. Vhen t-he pin 53, projecting from ajoint in the center ofthe catch, strikes the inclined plane y, the catch is bent and raised,releases the rod, and resumes its proper position beyond the shoulder 51through the action of the springs 48 and 49. The rod o is supported byand runs on a wheel, 52, between the inclined plane y and the-frame e,and is prevented from turning by a projection guided in a slot in framez.

Let us now follow the operation just described through a full stroke ofthe plunger and pistons and their return.

Imagine valves c, c', a, (l, f, and j closed; valves b, e, g, and7topen, and pistons 30 and 31 just starting in the direction of thearrows. The liquid in I will be pumped into the boiler through pipe I7in the direction of the arrow. I-Iot liquid rushes from the boiler inthe direction of the arrows through I3 and 16 into the cylinder I. Thecold liquid in E is pumped through pipe 14, heater C, and pipe 15,asindieated by the arrows. Expanding in its passage through the wires T,it enters port 34 in the direction of the arrow and pushes out theplunger s, driving pistons 32 and 33 and plunger t into their respectivecylinders. Cold liquid in F is pumped up through pipe 19 into cylinderD,and hot liquidin H through pipe 11 into the boiler B; Ou completingthe stroke, projection on cross head x strikes catch 44, opening smallvalve c. Immediately on returning eatch 43 opens main valve c, affordingfull passage to liquid. Valves d, a, f, and The liquid enters F, G, andH through pipes 20, 22, and 21.

The liquid in cylinders E and I is pumped from the right-hand side ofpistons 30 and 31 through the heater G in a direction contrary to thatof the arrows into the boiler B, again heating the wires T in itspassage through them, and, completing the stroke, projection oncross-head x strikes catch 42 and closes valves c and c, when theoperation just described will be repeated.

4 :meer

Valve m, in piston I, is used only in starting the machine, it beingalways open when the machine works. It is opened and closed by the handwith a lever. By closing m the pressure on right-hand side of piston 30is removed, and on opening valve Z by pressingit inward the pressure onthe left-hand side of piston 30 will force it to the right, driving theliquid through pipe 24 into the condenser N. On opening m, Z will closefrom outward pressure and the pistons be driven in an oppositedirection. Thus the pistons 3l and 30 can be brought back and themachine started independently ofthe catch 50.

The valve n on the boiler B is the safety valve, loaded with weight W,attached to lever 54, which works the valve stem through a stuftingbox yThis weight is made to throw said pressure of one thousand pounds onevery square inch of the safety-valve, thereby regulating the pressureof the air in cylinder D. The safety-valve opens into a steam-tightcylinder, from which the liquid is conducted through pipe 23 into thecondenser N.

A plunger, 0, enters the boiler B through a stuffing-box, and is presseddown by a weight, V, attached to lever 55. As this lever sinks down itcloses the valvep in pipe 29 by means of the link and crank 56, and asit rises it opens said valve. The object of this contrivance t is tostop the working-engine, to which pipe 29 leads, when the liquid isworked oft' below a given pressure in the boiler. Let us suppose thatthe plunger o is loaded with a pressure on the square inch somewhatsmaller than the pressure on the safety-valve n. It is evident that ifthe working-piston carries off the liquid so fast as to reduce thepressure in the boiler below the pressure resting on the plunger o bymeans of the weightV, the plunger o will sink into the boiler and, byclosing valve p, arrest the iiow of liquid through pipe 29 to theworking-piston. So soon as the pressure in the boiler exceeds thepressure on the plunger o from without it raises it and opens valve p,giving free passage to the liquid, the guard 57 preventing the leverfrom rising beyond its assigned limit. This device effectually preventsthe pressure in the boiler B and air-chamber D from being reduced belowthe point prescribed, and therefore effectually provides against theconversion of the liquid into vapor or steam.

The working cylinder, which receives its supply from the boiler throughpipe 29, is not represented in the drawings. lt may be made single ordouble; is built in every rcspect like an ordinary steam-cylinder, withsimilar attachments and appendages, and may be applied to propel thesame kinds of machinery. The liquid enters this cylinder from theboilerin aliquid state, and presses against the piston with theaforesaid pressure of one thousand pounds to the square inch. It' cutoff before the completion of the stroke, it will burst into steam,urging the piston still onward and maintaining a decreasing pressure tothe end of the stroke, the force of the steam depending upon thetemperature of the liquid at which it enters the cylinder. Thus it willbe perceived the full Value of the expansive force of steam or Vaporwill be utilized in addition to the direct force of the liquid on theworking-piston. The eduction-pipe from the workin gcylinder dischargesthe steam and the liquid which may not have been converted into steamthrough a pipe, whereof 25 in the drawings is a continuation, into thecondenser N.

N is a hollow chest, closed on all sides, made of copper, in which thesteam or vapor is condensed, and from which it passes through pi pe 26into cistern K. The circular holes in N represent copper pipes leadingfrom a trough surrounding the top through the condenser. A constantstream of cold water is kept running through these pipes to effect thecondensation of this steam or vapor. The liquid in K is still hot, andas such is pumped back into the boiler, as above described. A portion ofthe liquid, however, is carried from K through pipe 27 into O, which isalso a cooler or condenser made precisely like N and cooled in likemanner by water running through a trough and copper pipes. In O theliquid is cooled down to a still lower temperature, and is thenconducted into the eistern L to supply the pump F, as aforesaid.

n J is a hollow metallic cylinder, Figs. l, 5, and 6, bolted steam-tighttothe boiler B, with which it is placed in communication by means ofcontiguous slots eut through both cylinder and boiler to enable the hotliquid to'enter the cylinder J from the boiler. A hollow metalliccylinder, Y,is inserted in J, iianged steamtight on its head,Y beingsurrounded with the hot liquid and permeated by its heat. The object ofthe cylinder Y is to prevent the liquid in the boiler from being raisedbeyond a desired temperature by closing` damper q and opening damper r.The hollow part of the cylinder Y contains mercury, into which aplunger, 58, enters through a steam tight stuffing-box. The plunger isguided on the opposite side in the bracket 63, bolted on the side of theboiler, and is driven to the left as the mercury expands. A fixedcollar, 59, is fastened to the plunger near the cylinder Y, which, as ittraverses the tigures O 1 2 3 4, Src., on the scale R, indicates thedegrees of temperature of the mercury. Said figures represent hundredsof degrees. The spaces between the figures may be subdivided into tensand units. The weight X, attached to the plunger by a cord, serves tobring it back as the temperature of the mercuryfalls, andalso by itspressure prevents it from forming vapor. The proportions of the diameterof the plunger,of the capacity of the bore of the cylinder Y, and of thedistances marked on the scale R,are determined by calculation andexperiment. The expansibility of the metal of which Y is composed willenter into the calculation. Copper will be a useful metal for thispurpose, because by being a rapid conductor of heat it will enable themercury to sympathize quickly to the heat-of the liquid.

60 is a rod which plays in bracket G3 and on cylinder-head Y. On thisrod is fastened an adjustable collar, 6l, which can be set by means of athumb-screw to any desired degree of temperature marked on the scale R.

62 is a fixed collar on rod 60 and guided on rod 58.

64 and 65 is a bent lever moving on a pin inserted into the side of theboiler. 66 connects this lever With lever 36. As the rod 5S travels tothe left by reason ofthe increase of temperature of the mercury thefixed collar 59 strikes the collar 6l at the point to Which it is set onthe scale, carrying the rod 60 with it and causing"eollar 62 to strikethe lever at point 65, which elevates link 66 and thereby opens damperrand closes damper q. This arrests the further heating of the liquid bycutting ofi` the heat from the boiler and directs it n p the chimney. Asthe temperature ofthe mercury in cylinder Y falls, Weight X pushes backthe plunger 5S, releasing collar o'l,and damperr, closing'bypreponderance of Weight and leverage, raises damper q, thereby renewingthe process of heating in the boiler. This thermometric governor orregulator of heat is useful as a safeguard against excessive firing.

Having thus fully described my said invention7 I claim as theimprovements which constitute it- 1. The combination of the cylinder E,piston 3l, piston s, and the heater or heaters,substantially asdescribed, the parts being so connected and arranged with reference toeach other as to accomplish the result stated.

2. The combination of the air-chamber D with the heater B or othersuitable device for heating iuid used for the purpose of maintainingproper and elasticpressure upon the duid, as set forth, the heater andair-chamber being connected, as stated, or in any other appropriatemanner.

3. The combination of the auxiliary cylinder I and piston 30 with thecylinder E and piston 3l for the purpose of facilitating the process ofstarting the machine, said pistons being connected to each other, andthe cylinder I being provided with valves and other appendages,substantially as described, and accomplishing the purpose stated.

4. The combination of the thermometric regulator Y, or its equivalent,With dampers r and q, arranged in connection with the smoke-stack orchimney and the iiues, substantially as described, for the purposestated.

PETER SHEARER.

Witn esses:

GEORGE PRINTZ, Isaac SHAFFER.

